British motorists are being urged to give their feedback to a consultation which could have a dramatic impact on driving licence rules.
At the start of the month, the Department for Transport launched an open consultation to seek views on a proposal to extend the Ukraine driving licence exchange by an additional 18 months.
If this plan is adopted, it would increase the time of use of a Ukrainian driving licence to 54 months after the holder becomes a resident.
The change has been proposed as the UK Government continues to support Ukrainian nationals amid the ongoing war against Russia.
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The new proposals could be introduced to help Ukrainians adjust to life in Great Britain
PA
It follows a previous consultation in 2023 which found that 99 per cent of respondents supported an extension to the Ukrainian driving licence exchange.
The consultation received over 3,000 responses with 89 per cent agreeing with a 36-month extension to support people fleeing Ukraine to adjust to life in the UK.
This was confirmed on July 7, 2023, which allowed Ukrainian nationals to drive in Great Britain for three years after becoming a resident without exchanging their licence for a British one.
The new open consultation, which ends today (January 19), will bring driving licence eligibility in line with the planned 18-month extension to permission stay under the Home Office’s Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme.
The new licence measures would work alongside the Homes for Ukraine (HFU) scheme and the Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS) under the Appendix Ukraine Scheme.
At present, only Ukrainian licences issued after December 28, 2021, specify the type of vehicle transmission that a driver passed their test in.
As a result of this, Ukranian nationals with a licence older than the deadline will be restricted to driving automatic vehicles. They must then take a GB manual test to obtain a GB manual licence.
The Department for Transport notes that this could cause a “particular issue” for those who have brought manual vehicles with them to the UK, despite planning to return to Ukraine when it is safe to do so.
The consultation states that requiring Ukrainians in Great Britain on the Home Office visa scheme to exchange their licence introduces an “administrative and financial burden”.
It warns that this could have a further impact on their integration into Great Britain and affect their access to employment, education and health opportunities.
Data from the DVLA shows that between May 2021 and December 2022, 8,335 Ukrainian driving licences were exchanged for a Great Britain licence.
Of these, almost 5,000 were in the immediate aftermath of the Russian invasion from March to December 2022. In total, 208,900 Ukrainian nationals have arrived in the UK under one of the visa schemes.
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Commenting on the consultation, Future Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said: “My department has been actively engaged in making the transition to life in the UK as seamless as possible for those arriving here under such difficult circumstances, and initiatives such as the Free Onward Travel Scheme have all made it easier for Ukrainians to travel and settle into UK life.
“We welcome views about making this change, the length of time for the extension and whether there are any road safety considerations.”
Drivers are encouraged to give their feedback on the proposed changes today (Sunday, January 19, 2025) before 11.59pm when the consultation closes.
